#iroh and zuko family feels is still my favorite

[hazashiovo]

G’day! Could I bother you for some Zuko hcs of him falling for a girl next door kind of girl during his time in ba sing se? If you still write for atla. Or with bolin if u don’t! (Can’t remember the name of his fav place rip)? Thank you so much!

I do write for everything that's on my list, especially Zuko ;)

Zuko x fem reader

When zuko first settled in Ba Sing Se with his uncle,he didn't expect an oddly friendly girl to take initiative in talking to him.

His cold demeanor didn't push you away from him,it really got him wondering, especially since he has a pretty bad image of himself.

Once he started leaving his guard down around you,that's when his feelings started to accumulate.

You would come to his uncle's tea shop almost daily, leaving a small present for Zuko. Maybe some rice cakes, or some cute little drawings. Just a way to show your affection for the boy.

You never asked about his scar,you didn't want to make him uncomfortable by bringing back unfortunate memories.

And he really appreciated that, he doesn't really like nosey people.

His uncle ships you two. Iroh also gives Zuko dating advice about how to talk to you,how to act and Zuko pretends he hates it,but secretly absorbs single thing Iroh says.

Each time you went out with Zuko was an amazing experience, learning new things about him.

Now let's say one day you didn't visit Zuko at all,which got him worried.

The next day same,wich is unusual,if you'd be busy the day before,you would visit and tell him,it's just something you do.

So he gets suspicious,and comes to your house to see if you're okay,only for your mother to tell him you've been attacked while making a delivery, everything you had was stolen.

Your parents would welcome Zuko inside to come see you.

He enters your room to see you lay in bed,hurt,but nothing very serious,just some cuts and bruises over your arms and so. He's bad at comforting,but he makes sure to tell you it's not your fault.3

And he is FERAL. After talking to you,Zuko asks your parents who did it,in which they say some raiders who have been bothering your family for a long time.

Safe to say,you never had problems with those people again.

He was close to you while you were recovering, bringing you your favorite tea,and claiming his uncle made him do it.(Which is bulshit).

Soon enough you got back to your usual routine,even spending more time with Zuko.

After you got better,he asked you out. Deciding that it's useless to waste more time on dwelling,and that he has to speak his heart.

After he confessed,you jumped on him, kissing him like there's no tomorrow.

And like that,he started dating you. He felt like never before,you gave him this warm feeling in his chest,and when you were not around he would be gloomy.

Iroh was so happy Zuko found himself a nice lady. And since then, it was unusual for you to be seen without Zuko,or him without you.

At one point in your relationship,Zuko spoke about the burn mark on his face,and what his father did you him.

Yes, he told you he's the prince of the fire nation,but he also told you he left that in the past. You trusted him with your life,and you made sure to let him know it.

He was so happy that you didn't judge him for what he did,and that made him trust you a lot.

.

.

My first Zuko request!

#zuko #prince zuko #x reader #zuko x reader #reader #fem reader #atla #atla x reader #aang the last airbender #aang the last Airbender x reader #fire nation #ba sing se #uncle iroh #iroh

[coccinelle-et-chaton]

Thoughts on NATLA so far (up to ep 5)

I'm really loving it!!! There are some parts where the pacing gets a bit slow but it makes up by hitting you out of left field with the feels.

Episode 4 is my favorite so far.

I absolutely LOVED this rendition of Sukka. What bisexual disasters, the pair of them.

ON THE FIRE NATION:

I absolutely LOVE the background story on the fire nation family, particularly the bond between zuko and iroh. It is presented completely different than in the OG, since the 'show don’t tell' of the original happens in Book 2 and here they use flashbacks, but it works. Still ended with me in waterworks. Also, I understand the logic behind showing all of the cards from the very get-go being that Netflix can cancel the show before it is renewed for another season, so it needed to make the best impression possible, show all the stakes but not reveal them in ther completion. I think they did that very well so far.

ZUKO IS SO AWKWARD I LOVE HIM

his expressions and reactions are just peak comedy. He is the embodiment of "😫😟" and I love that for him.

Dallas' performance is definitely one of my highlights.

ON KATARA AND SOKKA:

The thing that is the most foreign to me so far is the decision to improve Sokka's emotional stakes at the expense of Katara's. I like it but this has to be the element where the adaptation departs the most from the og. Like, in the cartoon it is Katara who bears the brunt of the responsibility taking care of the water tribe and her brother, which is why Sokka's sexism as a character flaw worked there. I can see now why they chose to drop that. With the script flipped like this, with Sokka being the main caretaker and provider between him and Katara, making him stay sexist would've been a bit too much. It is very different, but I like how they flipped the script between them.

What I did not like about this flip is that the change seems to affect Katara's character for the worse. She is not as outspoken or short-tempered as she was in the cartoon. It's almost the complete opposite. But I can definitely see the shyness and insecurity being the deliberate starting point of her arc. Now in ep 5, you can see her becoming more confident both in personality and bending. I think this was a conscious decision, but I still wish she had been written to be more headstrong from the very beginning.

That being said, I really appreciate how different the dynamic between Sokka and Katara is. I love how Katara is trying to get her independence while Sokka is still caught on the fact he has to be her protector, almost parent figure, which is a cool change of pace. One of the things that kinda bothered me as a young girl watching Avatar was that Katara was always stuck being the mom and sort of getting teased for it despite the fact no one else could or wanted to step up to that responsibility. It's cool to see Sokka bearing that responsibility as the eldest in the adaptation.

ON THE BLATANTLY MISSING KATAANG

You know, I don't hate this change. Aang and Katara's interactions are still pretty wholesome, and once they start catching feelings for each other, it will be super cute because you see where the love is truly coming from. It's not just Aang's childhood crush/Katara's "destiny", as it was presented it the cartoon. Besides it would have looked a little weird, considering that the age gap between Gordon and Kiawentiio is way more obvious on screen than it is right now when you see the interviews with the cast, because that kid Gordon is growing up SO fast.

OVERALL:

I am enjoying it very much! The adaptation is excellent. Despite some changes being quite big, they managed to capture most of the show's essence. I do believe it could have benefitted from a bit more balance between the comedy and the seriousness, particularly when it comes to Aang because he is mostly just weighted down by his responsibility in the adaptation, I don't see him joke as much, but in general and all limitations considered, I think they did an excellent job! It won't be for everyone, for sure, but I can say it has managed to bring back that feeling of watching the show for the first time again on some parts :)

#natla #natla review #natla spoilers #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar netflix #avatar review #aang #zuko #katara #sokka #uncle iroh #azula #fire nation

[hello-nichya-here]

Why did Zuko feel compassion towards victims of war (Song, that couple's unborn baby) but Azula hasn't? Because she didn't have her own "Iroh" or because she wasn't as much exposed to the other environment?

Before we even discuss Azula, let's remember that despite Zuko's compassion towards others being very real, we cannot forget a few important aspects of these moments of pre-redemption kindness.

After bonding with Song, who had just helped him and his uncle, he stole her ostrige-horse (which Iroh went along with, though showing much more remorse than Zuko - aka any remorse at all).

Even though he didn't steal from that couple because he saw that the woman was pregnant, he still said "the people should be giving stuff to us" because that's what he was used to as a prince adn robbed plenty of people in the Earth Kingdom, taking both food and money, but also stuff he absolutely did not need to survive - to the point that Iroh tried to make him see that this was wrong, to which Zuko said that they would no longer gain anything by travelling together, as a very clear "I'll do whatever I think I should/am entitled to do."

And, of course, even though Zuko DID eventually feel compassion for all of Earth Kingdom in general (we see proof of it when turns his back on his father and joins the Gaang) we cannot forget that, even after that, he did go back to the very nation that was oppressing and killing them, even when Iroh had made it very clear "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good" clearly meaning "It's time to leave your old life behind and help stop your father", and only left when he was forced to think of the consequences of his actions as Ozai planned to burn everything to the ground, and Zuko was disgusted at himself for not speaking out against it.

These are important things to keep in mind because they show us that:

1 - Even when one is removed from the environment they grew up in, it still affects their world-view in the long term (Zuko had been banished for three years after all).

2 - Selective compassion is a thing, and it can be a result of "desperate times, desperate measures" (see Iroh stealing the ostrige-horse even he clearly didn't want to do that), of literal indoctrination and pleasant lies to excuse your bad actions (see Sozin starting the war to "share the Fire Nation's great way of life with others", regardless of them wanting it or not), of the classic "This thing I'm doing WOULD be bad in normal circumstances, but it's totally okay right now because it's a war and they are not on my side" justification, and of just thinking your life is way more important than anyone else's so screwing them over without necessity is fine.

3 - Changing one's whole mentality is a long, difficult process, in which is very common for the person to constantly take one step forwards then two steps back for quite some time before fully moving on.

4 - Having a mentor/support system is nice, but at the end of the day people make their own choices, and it doesn't matter if you tell them (gently or sternly) "You're making a huge mistake" because if they don't see it that way, there's nothing you can do to force them to understand where you're coming from.

Now, let's finally discuss Azula. Much like Zuko, she was raised in a deeply dysfunctional family that gave her all the wrong lessons about how relationships are supposed to work, AND said family was also royalty of an imperialist nation that had normalized war and genocide nearly a whole century before she was born. And unlike Zuko, she did not have someone to even try to guide her towards the right path.

To make matters worse, she's also "Ozai's right hand" and his favorite child for most of the show - which in this context means she's the child soldier that has been brainwashed the most AND the kid that is the least likely to recognize she's being taken advantage of because every unfair thing Ozai demans of her (and that often has very serious consequences for others) is framed as her duty both as his daughter and heir, and as a potential way to gain some of the love and validation the bastard is well aware his children crave.

EVEN WORSE, all the stress Azula was put under psychologically destroyed her - and has made her paranoid. Meaning that even if someone were to try and step up to help her now, she would be convinced that they are either secretly ploting to harm her, or at the very least that they are trying to fool her because they need something from her.

For Azula to ever be able to see the error of her ways, she'd need:

1 - To recover from her breakdown and have a support system of people she trusts.

2 - These people would need to push her to see that the war hurt her, the people she loves, the people of the Fire Nation, and the people of the other nations (yes, in that order). They'd also need to be ready to deal with her taking one step forward, two steps back, just like Zuko did, because as I've already explained this is a long, complicated process.

3 - Recovered and willing to admit that the war was a terrible thing that never should have happened, she'd spend sometime with amongst some of the people it affected the most (that can mean anything from "lots of conversations with Aang and the rest of the group when they visit Zuko" all the way to "life-changing field trip with Zuzu to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom/Air Temples/Water Tribe(s), it really just depends on what you'd like to see in a story)

#asks #azula meta #azula deserved better

[phoenixfangs]

tagged by @rizaposting HOLDING UR HAND AND PRESSING MY FOREHEAD AGAINST UR SHOULDER i never get tagged in these so this is fun huehue

are you named after anyone? not technically, ive asked my parents multiple times about How they came up with me and my siblings names, but they just. didnt think very hard about it. fjkdlsjfdlas. but in a way im named after my mom, because me and saturns given names start with the same letter as our moms; my younger siblings names start with the same letter as our dads. i guess me and saturn could also be named for one of my dads uncles?? our names mixed make that uncles name. but idk im not willing to believe my dad cares that much about Anyone in his family to honor their memory through our names lawl

when was the last time you cried? i think the other day watching atla, when zuko and iroh reunite before the final battle. zuko trying to stumble through an apology and thinking iroh must hate him, but iroh just without even saying anything grabbing zuko and pulling him into a tight and tearful hug... man ;_;

do you have kids? HELL NO!!!!! im barely halfway through my 20s i should be at the club. dont want kids, never wanted kids, will never want kids. i will tolerate being my nieces and nephews cool auncle when my siblings start having kids of their own, and No More, thanks

do you use sarcasm a lot? i guess so?? its hard to gauge. i feel like most of the time i speak sincerely, but i will also throw in the occasional sarcastic quip. shrugs

what sports do you play? i dont play any sports anymore, but up until high school i played softball. i was pretty good i think! pitcher and second base. also in middle/high school i was a baton twirler for band and i guess dance competitions (i have Never thought of it as 'dance' but i guess technically i was dancing... blegh), and im gonna count that as a sport. any activity with the possibility and probability of being hit on the head by a metal rod counts as a sport to me

what’s the first thing you notice about people? probably their height. most people are taller than me but i will make an immediate note of people who are Shorter than me

what’s your eye color? grrrreen gray? i spent a few minutes staring at my eyes trying to figure out the color but all i did was strain my eyes jfldks

scary movies or happy endings? hmmmmmm i love both. i like blood and gore and guts and evil, but i also like heartwarming fluff where everything works out. i cant decide!! it just depends on my mood hehe

any special talents? i hesitate to claim i have perfect pitch because it sounds self congratulatory, but im pretty sure i have perfect pitch lmao. i cant Identify notes by name but i can recreate pretty much any note i hear, as long as its in my range. im not a good singer though lawl i dont have the technique. in the same vein, i can recreate other noises i hear pretty well, like i taught myself how to do the perry the platypus clicking sound Thing he does just by listening to it

where were you born? texas born and raised! everyone i knew growing up was a redneck or a 'cowboy church' christian

what are your hobbies? drawing, writing fanfic oneshots or rps with friends, bideo games, rewatching the same handful of tv shows and letsplays and video essays over and over again

do you have any pets? my son, my sweet bubby, apollo :> my stupid little man, hes gonna be 3 this year i think! flame point siamese kitty, dumb as rocks, currently i think hes burrowed in the sheets on my bed taking a nappy

how tall are you? 5'2", but add a couple inches because i almost exclusively wear shoes that add height, like my Big Dyke Boots i wear every day hehe

favorite subject in school? any of my electives probably, like art and music/band. in college my favorite classes i ever took were film appreciation, screenwriting, and theatre directing (which i signed up for thinking it was film directing, but it was still so fun and interesting)

dream job? honestly?? i think anything on the set of a movie or tv show would be awesome. maybe creative consultant, so that i can interject my own ideas into other peoples projects. i tend to feel my most creative when im working Around other peoples ideas tbh. all that, or lead writer/director on my own tv show/movie/video game, if i ever feel like i can handle that pressure

GET TAGGED @applescabs @lizardyeast @cottagegay and anyone else that sees and wants to participate :>

#mine #this is such a classic type of post. u never see people do tag memes anymore i feel like #i hardly ever see them anyway!

[sokkastyles]

As a whole, I don’t find “Legacy of the Fire Nation” to be particularly well-written, insightful, or in character, but I take my tidbits where I can. Moreover, I do have to comment on this because of the frequency that I’ve seen these particular quotes used as proof that Iroh hates, abuses, or neglects Azula, that he doesn’t see Azula as an abuse victim because he’s projecting Ozai onto her, or even that HE was the Azula in his relationship with Ozai, and didn’t see Ozai as being abused because of it, and that’s why he lacks sympathy for Azula.

And that just seems both wildly out of character and a willful misreading of what is actually being said here.

Here, Iroh shows a very strong awareness of the abuse that has run in his family, and where it comes from. Far from seeing Ozai’s behavior as isolated, he refers to it going back to Azulon and Sozin and also how Fire Nation militarism enabled that culture of violence and toxicitiy. This shows that he is aware that Azulon showed unfair favoritism. He talks of how as a young man, he excelled in the role of being Azulon’s prodigy and thought that it was his destiny to take the throne. He talks of initially seeing Ozai’s jealousy as merely that of a sibling rivalry, but realizing that it was something more as Ozai grew into the abusive person he was, shaped by both his own personal ambition and the same toxic culture that Iroh himself had to come to realize was wrong.

He also talks about how there are times where he thinks he could have done something more to help Ozai, which is a pretty natural reaction, and tragic. The way he talks about his growing awareness of what Ozai was, it makes it clear that this was a situation that escalated beyond his control, and his guilt over it sounds similar to the accounts of many people who live with abusers, especially those who they are very close to.

Which is one reason why I find it VERY hard to believe that he would just write off Azula or ignore her, but it also shows his awareness that sometimes you do have to make the choice to cut ties with an abusive person, no matter how painful that is, because he’s been there before. He’s had to make his own peace with the fact that his own father was a monster, even when he benefitted from Azulon’s favoritism. Which is something that Azula has yet to do because she can’t let go of that favoritism.

Iroh doesn’t blame Azula here, though. Even when he discusses Azula, he blames Ozai for not stopping it, Ozai for continuing the legacy of favoritism and toxicity. He compares his relationship with Ozai to Zuko’s and Azula’s not to say that Azula is irredeemable, but in a way that makes it clear that this is something painful for him, that he wishes things could be different. He doesn’t think that either Ozai or Azula were born evil, but he’s not going to make excuses for them, either.

I’ve seen some people point to this and say that just pointing out Ozai’s favoritism of Azula is ignoring that Azula was abused too or blaming her or not giving her credit that she deserves, which is both nonsense and comes across as trying to silence discussion of how Zuko was abused because “Azula was abused, too” or something, which isn’t a logical or ethical stance to take. We should be allowed to talk about how Ozai’s favoritism of Azula was unfair and abuse, because it was. We should be allowed to talk about how it harmed Zuko, because it did. It also harmed Azula, but neither this book, Iroh as a character, nor I am claiming that it didn’t, and talking about how Zuko was harmed does not mean Azula wasn’t, and the only reason that I can see that someone would interpret things that way is if you deny the role Azula herself played in Zuko’s abuse. I also feel like some people who talk about this want to talk about Azula as a victim of abuse but still want her to be the favored child, and you can’t have both. You can’t pretend that Azula deserved to be favored and act like you understand how Ozai’s abuse created that dynamic in the first place. That would be like Iroh saying he still wanted to be Fire Lord after talking about how his family’s toxicity is what put him on that track in the first place. It’s why Iroh refuses the mantle of Fire Lord at the end of the series and also why he doesn’t have any rose-colored glasses when it comes to Azula.

#iroh #azula #zuko #ozai #azulon #sozin #abuse cw #legacy of the fire nation

[old-people-like-avatar]

Netflix Avatar the Last Airbender S1E6: Masks Review [Spoilers]

I actually really, really loved this Zuko-heavy episode. Probably my favorite so far. It introduced some important new scenes to the canon.

THE GOODS

Ozai: He's just trying to be a good father, guys. Really. Just trying to teach his son a valuable lesson to make him strong. No, but really. I really enjoyed Daniel Dae Kim's fresh interpretation of Ozai's agni kai with Zuko and its aftermath. He somehow made the concept of suffering-as-teacher come off... as parenting. Of course, we can all see the horrific abuse for what it really is, but Ozai the character truly believed. He even showed some hesitation in burning Zuko's face. Kim's performance gave Ozai a depth that wasn't really in the show. I actually really enjoyed watching this character.

41st Division: I loved the addition of Zuko's crew being the division that was supposed to be sacrificed. Awesome.

Zuko/Iroh: While there was a little too much of Iroh "talking up"/exposition-ing Zuko to the crew as someone who "sacrificed" and whatnot, they did also manage to do some really great showing. Little gestures, like Iroh fixing Zuko's gauntlest or putting a blanket on Zuko. <3 Or the way Iroh choked up when Zuko finally came back to the ship.

Zuko/Aang: The Blue Spirit action scenes were great, but what I really enjoyed was Zuko's scene with Aang in the random hut in the middle of nowhere. [Where did the hut come from? Who knows? How come the soldiers didn't see and search the hut? Who knows? Plot device!] Them bonding over goat hair and Zuko's notebook! Their conversation. I liked this expansion of the "Kuzon" scene from the show a lot.

Iroh and Azula in the agni kai: I liked that they had Iroh try to stop Ozai before the agni kai, and that Azula wasn't just sadistically watching.

Admiral Zhao: I loved the portrayal of Zhao's ascension to admiral. He was delicious.

THE I-APPRECIATED-WHAT-THEY-WERE-DOING-BUT-NOT-SURE-THEY-PULLED-IT-OFF

Resolution for Koh: Thematically they were trying to tie Koh's need for family to Aang and Zuko's need for family, but... it just really did not work. Here's this piece of wood totem! (But why did Roku steal it? No idea.) Something about a mother of faces! Family! Yeah! Okay! They didn't really pull it off.

THE BADS

Clunky dialogue... again. "I can't let everyone down again!" Please, make it stop. We've been hit over the head too many times with this. "I have feeling you've been hurt more than enough." No, no, no. Why do you feel the need for Aang to state all the obvious things? This writing team needs an editor.

Aang's capture made no sense: They didn't really explain how Aang didn't escape after the shirshu venom wore off. He was just secured with a rope on a cart. Couldn't he have airbended? If the answer is he was still under the effect of the venom, then say something about that. Otherwise, it just didn't make any sense.

THE UNKNOWN

Roku: I'm not sure how I felt about Avatar Roku as a character. Remains to be seen. Needs further development.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar: the last airbender #netflix atla #netflix avatar #live action avatar #live action atla #spoilers #natla

[juniperhillpatient]

The Drill Re-watch

The Dangerous Ladies are back! And they have a big scary drill. I love how Mai is just happy to get something to do & I had honestly forgotten how consistently ecstatic Ty Lee is at any opportunity for violence. She's so adorable & scary at the same time. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Ty Lee? +1000 iconic behavior points to her for taking out all those earth-benders & scaring Katara. I had also forgotten just how scared of Ty Lee Katara is & how much she dislikes her. Katara yelling & calling Ty Lee a circus freak was a badass moment. +1000 iconic behavior points. Mai disobeying Azula just because she doesn't want to get muddy & popping up in the end like "we lost" in a deadpan voice was hilarious & very based of her, +500 iconic behavior points. Sokka's plan to take out the drill from the inside was pretty smart. +500 iconic behavior points.

My favorite part of the conflict with the drill was actually Ty Lee. I also really loved the flirty moment between her & Sokka, & Katara having to drag Sokka away. Honestly, I've never given much thought to Ty Lee/Sokka as a potential ship until this re-watch but their flirty banter during fights is so funny & cute. And I just can't get enough of Ty Lee happily kicking ass.

Surprisingly, I don't have that much to say about Azula in this episode which is rare for me but this was pretty much standard hero vs. villain "let's keep the Fire Nation out of Ba Sing Se" stuff. I mean, the Azula vs. Aang fight was badass, but I don't have any meaningful analysis of it. I think the most meaningful takeaway I have about Azula in this episode is regarding her relationship with Mai & Ty Lee. It's been commented on a hundred times that Mai disobeys Azula's order in this episode, but still, I'll comment on it again. I think it says a lot about the dynamic between Azula & Mai. Mai is a subordinate, & there is a power imbalance but Mai knows what she can & can't get away with & isn't afraid to do what she wants under certain circumstances. I think that the dynamic between these three girls is layered & this episode gives evidence to the idea that Azula does treat Mai & Ty Lee like friends to the extent that Azula can treat anyone like friends. Mai never felt coerced & if she was reluctant to follow specific orders, she simply didn't.

Jet & Zuko were my favorite part of this episode, actually. I can't believe it took me as long as it did spending time in this fandom to warm up to Jet/Zuko as a romantic pairing. Shocking & disappointing for me, really, I feel like I usually have good taste right away. SMH past me. Oh well, I see the truth now. They're literally Thee Template. Like, they met each other, said "be gay do crime" & had a touching heart to heart about both being traumatized & Zuko realized that he didn't always have to be alone & by the next episode Jet is following Zuko around like a lost puppy begging him to join his little found family. THEN freaking Iroh warms up his tea with fire-bending. Iroh, I was just warming up to you & starting to stand up for you, dude. What are you DOING? Zuko is right. For a supposedly wise old man, that's just.....really fucking stupid. I don't even know what to say. I guess Iroh got a little too comfortable? Like....what? Anyway....

Despite the rather contrived way in which it happened (yeah, sorry, I'm gonna say the writing is a LITTLE contrived like, I just don't get it is Iroh supposed to be smart or not?) I DO love a dramatic breakup between two characters who technically never even dated. Jet now knows that Zuko & Iroh are fire-benders. And MAN. A hundred smarter people than me have written fascinating essays & analyses & metas about the tragedy that Jet is right that they're fire-benders & more right than he knows because they're literally Fire Nation royalty & both personally responsible for a lot of harm inflicted by the Fire Nation but he's wrong because they are actually refugees now & not causing any new harm & also because he needs to let go of this obsessive hate because it will (& does) lead to his downfall like....We'll get to my thoughts on Jet's tragedy & his death when we get there but this set up for drama (by itself!!! pretending I'm watching for the first time!!!) IS excellent writing (if the specifics weren’t so contrived.) If only they ---- never mind, I'm done for now. I'm ending this ramble. Goodnight. Oh yes, Zuko & Jet get +1000 iconic behavior points for their quick little fling that will change them both forever & for having a dramatic breakup without Zuzu (king of drama on any other occasion!) even knowing about it.

Anyway, this was a great episode. I'm surprised I had so little to say about Azula & that she earned no iconic behavior points, but it's okay because she will blow everyone else out of the running in Crossroads of Destiny, I already know 100% for sure. Yeah, my favorite parts of this episode were the Dangerous Ladies & Jet & Zuko but I should also mention that I liked Sokka joking about the different group names even though "gaang" hasn't come up yet. And the hints about metal-bending & its potential were fun subtle foreshadowing.

#atla re watch #atla book 2 #the drill

[marriedzukka]

5, 11, 17 for retgmt <3

hi jo beloved my number one retgmt warrior <3<3

5. Where did you write this fic? Is that your favorite spot to write?

all over, but probably mostly in my bed or at the desk in my room. i write a lot at work too when there's downtime but I prefer doing it at home in my cozy space with no interruptions (other than my cat)

11. Was there a scene that you hadn't originally planned to include? Why did you decide to fit it in?

soo many omg...but there a few that come to mind:

1) jet giving sokka a pep talk. jet only plays a very small part in this story so I wasn't sure if I should keep it in, but sokka also needed a reality check from someone who didn't care about his feelings as much as his friends/family lmao.

2) iroh's letter to lu ten. it started as just an exercise in trying to find his voice, and i almost didn't include it because it was hard to find a good spot for it. but people still comment about that part specifically so I'm really glad I kept it in!!

3) sokka's conversation with katara, aang, and toph when zuko was Going Through It. round-table scenes like that are so hard because there's so many people to keep track of and i wasn't sure if it was too clunky, but sokka also needed a pep talk and new perspective from his people so I decided to keep it.

4) zuko's conversation with hakoda. I don't know what it was about this scene that was so damn hard to write but other than the huge emotional parts of that chapter, this was definitely the hardest scene to get right. I knew that I wanted them to have a conversation but i couldn't figure out how to get the two of them alone in a way that was natural. But then it finally clicked when I remembered that I had literally already set up the fact that Sokka was trying to pay more attention to when Zuko needed a break, so it gave me a chance to show Sokka actually doing that AND get Zuko alone.

17. What was the hardest scene to write?

hmmm. tough choice, I've cried so many very real tears writing this thing but apart from the big relationship moments, which I'm always concerned with getting just right, I think the hardest to write was when Zuko finally breaks down in chp. 14. That shit was rough. I had to really dig into those feelings and try to express what grief feels like (it feels like So Much), and also simplify it in a way that made sense and resonated. And then because I love making things even more complicated for myself, I decided to put some flashbacks in that scene too. Those ended up being necessary but I was definitely struggling to make the whole thing flow in a way that made sense.

13.My favorite line of dialogue from this fic was [xyz]. What inspired it?

🥺🥺🥺 i love that line too, I think it sums them up so well. I'm not sure if there was anything specific that inspired it, but I wanted to call back to earlier in the chapter when they were looking through pictures together and Sokka made him say that he deserved good things. And it got to a point when Sokka was finally like, fine- don't believe me? I'll show you myself!!!!

#mwah mwah kissing youuuu #feel free to ask more if you want i could literally talk about this all day lmao #but thank you i appreciate you so much<3<3 #answered #jo #retgmt

[peony-pearl]

I went back to peek at Crossroads of Destiny with the line ‘I looked away’ in mind; I couldn’t remember if Zuko looked away from Iroh as he was captured by the Dai Li - and he doesn’t, but Iroh does.

Iroh’s original line from the storm is said with a lot of shame. His entire being is sewn into Fire Nation tradition, being its former crown prince - I highly doubt that stopping Zuko from being burned would have prevented it outright. Ozai was probably still going to punish Zuko, knowing how much he disdained his son anyway. He would have probably ended up hurting both Zuko and Iroh - and honestly the thought may not have crossed Iroh’s path, as, let’s face it, he’s still mired in Fire Nation tradition, despite his slowly changing heart. He may not see Zuko as a surrogate son yet, it’s been too soon since Lu Ten has died and we don’t know how much time Iroh and Zuko have spent together - but the horror of Ozai willingly burning his son weighs heavily on Iroh’s heart since he would do anything to have Lu Ten back.

Yet he still failed Zuko; but he didn’t make Zuko walk the path to finding the Avatar alone.

When Iroh is apprehended by the Dai Li, he looks away from Zuko, who looks directly at him.

Ultimately, I believe, once again, it’s Iroh’s shame towards himself. Not that he was unable to convince Zuko that the Fire Nation was bad; but that he hadn’t been able to help Zuko stay away from his abuser.

Iroh did his best to convince Zuko he can be whoever he wants, that he doesn’t have to prove anything to Ozai to live a peaceful life. He is enough - but Iroh still didn’t meet Zuko’s emotional needs to a degree. Zuko DID ultimately choose like Iroh urged him he could - and I think Iroh knows this. He told Zuko to make a choice, but once Zuko chooses to return to a man that only loves the boy when it’s convenient, Iroh realizes he messed up - just like he messed up with Lu Ten. And yet it’s still a bitter pill, after he did what he could to support the boy so they could both live and thrive... Zuko chose someone else.

“You’ll have father’s love again,” Azula says.

But he’s had Iroh’s love ever since the Siege of the North, at the very least.

and yet Iroh is looking at the proof that he still failed another son.

He looks away because he is ashamed.

When they reunite, Iroh isn’t sure how to feel. But when Zuko apologizes, Iroh tells him he was never mad. He did give Zuko that choice, but personally, I would have changed the line to let him tell Zuko that he has nothing to apologize for. Granted, yes, Zuko denied the work Iroh put in on a physical level, but Zuko’s emotional needs still weren’t being met, even with Iroh’s urging that Zuko could make his own choices. He was right, but he wasn’t giving a lot of details - details Zuko probably wasn’t going to listen to in the first place because of his continued desires to be back in the Fire Nation.

Iroh and Zuko go through this cycle of supporting each other, to failing each other, to healing each other. Their shame in denying each other leads to them becoming closer and realizing their own mistakes, and in coming from a family that focuses on perfection and ruthlessness, that’s one of my favorite things.

#atla #atla meta #Iroh #Zuko

[northerngoshawk]

Happy FFWF on the last Friday of 2022! What did you enjoy the most about writing fanfic this year? What are three fics you read this year that you would recommend to others? Don't forget to include links to fics, including your own!

happy ffws on the last saturday of 2022 haha! and daaaaangggg, choco, that's a great question!

i think one thing i enjoyed most about writing fanfic this year is expanding my array of fics and delving deep into intropsection and other various themes. i mean, i most definitely had a few fics from last year that were introspection, but this year i had waaayyyy more of these fics, most of which are based upon Aang's grief of the Air Nomads because for some reason that's my favorite thing to explore (lol...). but i also began exploring more niche themes that i don't think many people in the atla fandom tend to explore, such as Katara's changing perception of Aang as the avatar (gods don't bleed (except you do)) and Zuko's guilt on his role in the Fire Nation's imperialism (dreamless dreams).

this year, i also learned that i enjoy writing other relationships that aren't Kataang! i really did enjoy writing Iroh's and Lu Ten's relationship in leaves let go (to fall from the vine) and Hakoda's and Aang's potential father-son relationship in these sleepless nights we spend (waiting to come home). even in my current in-the-works multichap see the sky and sea (and remember me), i love writing Sokka's and Katara's sibling relationship just as much as the Kataang. these things are definitely something i enjoyed the most when writing these fics this year, and i'm waiting to see what next year will bring!

now, three fics i read this year... hmmm....

Monarch by @itsmoonpeaches. it's a sin to say i've only read this amazing fic this year (and yes it's still a Work-In-Progress) but OML this is so good!! the court intrigue, the characterization of Azulon, the various nefarious motives everyone has, the backstabbing... ugh i would most definitely recommend it to the atla fandom!! this deep dive into the imperialism of the Fire Nation through the eyes of the royal family would be one that's very very tricky to do well, and Peaches wrote it masterfully!

Unspoken, Undeniable by @flameohotwife, which is her fake-dating au for Kataang. there’s a lot of amazing fluffiness and pining and even a little bit of angst as Katara and Aang dance around each others’ feelings HAHAHA. would definitely rec it for a good ol’ fluffy romantic time! (also yis there is a sequel to that if you’re horny LOL)

and finally, your fic Drag You Down, which was just completed this past thursday! this is a kind of Kataang fic i have seldom seen in the fandom, a Kataang fic that’s more than a Kataang fic! it addresses Aang and Katara as who they are, down to their core, and their flaws and fears as the reason why they had to split up--and not because of a “simple miscommunication problem” either. it weaves in a storyline that is not just about Kataang, but it works in such a way that it affects how Aang and Katara each navigate the barrier between them before they can finally get together. in essence, the fic isn’t putting Kataang as the sole focus, but as the foundation of the story, with each event affecting it in some way, even if it’s not directly related to the relationship. it also addresses themes of The Guru and The Crossroads of Destiny that i rarely see in the Kataang fandom, and it’s done so well and so in-character for the both of them! overall, such an amazing fic i would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to bite into its themes and character-building!

thanks for the ask, choco!

#northern answers #chocomd #northern recs a fic #three fics actually #lol #late ffwf #ffwf #ffwf answer #late ffwf answer

[chocomd]

ATLA rewatch thoughts, Book 2 (ep 6, 7)

6) The Blind Bandit:

Such a good episode, and what better way to introduce Toph! Small, “fragile,” and blind, and underestimated by everyone around her. But it’s when Aang sees her fight that he understands that she’s the earthbending teacher he needs.

I’ve never paid much attention to Toph’s arc before, which sometimes gets overshadowed by the rest of the Gaang’s. But hers is clearly one of shaping her own destiny. Up until she meets Aang, she has followed the path set out for her because she has no other choice - and her secret pro-bending activities are her only outlet for pursuing a different destiny. The Gaang lives the kind of life that she desperately longs for, but she feels bound to her parents and their will for her. It’s only when she has the chance to use her abilities to make a difference, and when her parents reject her when they see her true self, that cements her decision to take her destiny into her own hands and join Aang and the Gaang. But at the end of the episode, her father still can’t fathom that his daughter is capable of choosing a life where she has to fend for herself, and he sends Yu and Xin Fu to bring her back.

Watching Toph fight is so amazingggg 🙌

The pro-bending tournament as a spoof on pro wrestling never fails to make me laugh 😂

Toph, angrily: “What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?!”

7) Zuko Alone: Zuko isn’t my favorite character, and the brooding, angry, hotheaded deal he has going on doesn’t do it for me. I’ve never paid that much attention to Zuko-heavy scenes or this episode that’s entirely dedicated to his character (where is the Gaang?? 😭). But now that I’m rewatching for the third time (lol) I’m finding that this is actually a brilliant episode - and not for the reasons why a lot of fandom seems to love this episode.

The episode starts with Zuko starving for food and water, and he almost attacks a man who seems to be traveling alone, roasting meat over a fire. He’s desperate, and he’s on the verge of fulfilling Iroh’s warning: “You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts.” But he stops himself when he sees that the man is traveling with his pregnant wife (later on, this is the couple we meet in The Serpent’s Pass). Apparently Zuko hasn’t quite sunk that low.

In a run-down EK town, Zuko doesn’t rat out the boys throwing eggs at the EK soldiers. He instantly recognizes them as bullies and stands up to them without making a scene. This leads one of the boys, Lee, to see Zuko’s action as an act of resistance and invites him to his home.

The reason why this episode is so brilliant is that it shows not just memories of scenes from Zuko’s life that make him who he is, but also how those memories parallel his current desperate plight and the hardships of Lee’s family. 

In the beginning, as Zuko rides his ostrich horse, starving, feeling alone and unprotected, he has as flashback of his mother, who disappeared from his life, leaving him feeling alone and unprotected (this is in no way a criticism of Ursa, btw). The next scene is him protecting Lee from the bully EK soldiers. Then you have the flashback with the momma turtleduck biting Zuko for throwing a rock at her duckling, which parallels Ursa protecting Zuko and Gansu protecting his son (Lee’s brother), and later of Zuko protecting Lee again. There are so many parallels like this throughout the episode, and they’re important because Zuko, who lacks empathy for people different from him, begins to connect his own memories and hurt with the experiences of the EK people (enemy commoners who were previously beneath his notice) - people who are suffering because of the war that his own nation and father is perpetuating. He truly begins to relate to others and see their worth, and for the first time starts to realize that the FN’s cause may actually be harmful and maybe not so honorable and worthy.

The most gripping moment to me was during the fight at the end, when Zuko has a flashback after the EK soldier, Gow, knocks him to the ground. Ursa says, “No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are.” Zuko opens his eyes and stands up, throws Gow away from him with firebending, and proudly declares that he is Zuko, son of Ozai and heir to the FN throne. I used to think that Ursa meant “Don’t forget that you’re really a good person and choose to do the right thing,” and that Zuko misinterprets her words to reassert his claim as Ozai’s son and heir. But she actually means something different, and she says it in an earlier flashback: “That's who you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard.” So he picks himself up and firebends in front of the crowd, blowing his cover. He fights with firebending to defend himself and to protect Lee, even though it’s hard to face the townspeople’s rightful hatred of him. He knew this would happen, and he faces the consequences. 

I think Ursa’s final words to Zuko were also meant to remind him that no matter what happens, he is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, destined to become Fire Lord - and that’s also why he declares his identity like he does. He’s not wrong when he obsesses over his birthright as belonging to him. But what he still needs to learn is that his status and power should be used to benefit and protect people without power. The lessons he learned from his mother protecting him as a child, from Gansu protecting his oldest son, and from he himself protecting Lee, stay with him for the rest of the series. It’s one of the reasons he’s so conflicted when he chooses the path of selfishness and exploitation (joining forces with Azula in bringing about Aang’s death) to grab ahold of the birthright he so desperately wants to reclaim.

There’s a lot I could say about Azula and the family drama and court intrigue elements, but I’ve gone on long enough lmao

#chocomd rewatches ATLA

[kenobihater]

Got a new tarot deck a while back, this time it's ATLA themed! It's just called The ATLA Tarot by Yappangiearts, but it's sadly out of print. That said, I know of a shop with one copy left for like 95 bucks so if you're interested lmk and I'll send you in the right direction! If you're not willing to pay that much but still want an ATLA deck, then there's several other decks out there for less money that I can point you to as well, so check out this post! Anyways, I wanted to gush about some of my favorite cards because this is literally my FAVE ATLA themed deck out of them all and I love almost every single card choice. I'm also limiting myself to two Major Arcana and two Minor Arcana so I don't ramble on about the whole deck lmao.

The first one is what really spurred me to buy the deck so I'm gonna talk about it the most, and it's a card featuring my least fave character - Ozai as The Devil! Ozai stands in for the devil, and chained in fire and combat are his two children Zuko and Azula, standing in for the enslaved people typically shown at the devil's feet. This card to me usually represents addiction, vice, and obsession, though with this card I'm inclined to take it a little deeper bc of the genius decision to include his kids. His kids have been raised to compete for his affection (you could almost say they're obsessed with one-upping each other), affection that always came at the price of their relationship with their sibling. With every instance of pitting them against each other, he drove another wedge between the two of them. That's cyclical to me and adds a layer of unhealthy family relationships to this card, and I hate Ozai so much but goddamn do I love this card choice!

The next card I wanna talk about is Zuko as The Hanged Man. In the Major Arcana it's number 12, right before Death at number 13. If Death represents change, then The Hanged Man can represent the discomfort that pushes us to take that final leap. The Hanged Man to me represents the ultimate card of liminality, of being stuck between the upright, logical world and the upside down, illogical world. It also can mean you feel stuck, it can be a symbol of surrendering to fate, and it can even mean enlightenment of some sort at the cost of some type of discomfort. Zuko is DEEPLY conflicted and stuck between two worlds for a majority of the show, so I think he's a wonderful choice for this card!

Onto the minors! The Two of Swords again features Zuko, though this time it's his Blue Spirit mask. It typically features a blindfolded figure holding two swords, and the Blue Spirit is a PERFECT stand in for this, both visually and symbolically! The mask stands in for the blindfold, protecting Zuko's identity rather than allowing for unbiased judgement in a difficult decision, though both cut the wearer off from the outside world. This card can mean that one is at a crossroads and needs to make a difficult decision. Imho, the Blue Spirit's introduction is also the first step Zuko takes towards redemption. Yes he does the right thing for the wrong reason, but he still commits a good act, if a primarily selfish one. So, portraying this scene as the Two of Swords is brilliant I think bc it is undoubtedly a difficult decision that Zuko makes in rescuing Aang!

Finally, I wanna talk about the Six of Swords. Traditionally, this is portrayed as a woman and a child being ferried across a river by a boatman, leaving the rough waters behind. It can symbolize journeys in general, whether literal, metaphorical, or both. In the ATLA tarot, instead we see Iroh and Zuko's topknot and ponytail floating by in a stream. I love this, because it keeps the parent-and-child motif, but represents very well the decision the two have just made to both sever themselves from their pasts and move on to wherever the road takes them in their flight from Azula.

In conclusion: I fucking ADORE this deck!!

#len's cardslinging adventures #thought i'd be bothered by the majors being watercolor and the minors being digital but i literally love this deck sm #also thought i'd be bothered by swords being fire and wands being air but for atla the switch 100% makes sense to me!

[arleneworld22]

How are you?

How's your day?, what do you did today?, what music did you listened today?, what are your current favorite shows?, how's your family? I hope your mother recoves soon and stay healthy, are you taking naps? I hope you do, did you know that when we sleep our brains kill toxic substances that we made when we are awake? when we are sleeping our cells shrink allowing the fluids in our brain flow like a river, which means that when we wake up our brain is renewed, did you know that? I'ts my favorite fact that I learned in an online class because it means that we are a little different every time we sleep a little and I like that. How are you doing with your homeworks?, weekend is here, do you have plans to do with her? I hope you enjoy them a lot, if it's not, call her and tell her how much you love when she smiles.

Today I went to work, I'm training at clinical archive department, but suddenly they call me to have an express training work in the emergency department to cover for someone who is going to be absent, so tomorrow I'm going to work 12 hours there. Aaaaaaaahhhh I'm very nervous, it's going to be my first time in that department, the recepcionist let me practice a little today and I think I get it the basic, but I'm very nervous because of people, many times I deal with rude patients and since it is that department I feel that because of all the stress and fear that is concentrated there I think they could be a little more, I am somewhat afraid of making a big mistake for that; sadly because of this I can't go for my sign class tomorrow, and I was exited because I was to exchange a book with a classmate, she would lend me her book "Before December" and I would give her "Little women". My plans for today is rest at home watching some anime, doing exercise, make the dinner to my family (I think I'm going to do spaghetti), and cleaning a little, maybe call my best friend, it's been weeks since I talk to him (I want to talk to you about him later, he is amazing!)

I rewatched ATLA some years ago, I didn't watch it since childhood and I love that now I could understand it more, last year I rewatched it but now with TLoK and OMG she an amaizing character, I wanted to introduce my brother to them but sadly we couldn't watch TLoK because there no subtitles in spanish to him, but at leat he loves ATLA.

You said that you identified with Korra and Zuko, but I did it with a lot with Aang and Roku, I understood a lot of what Aang happened to reach the avatar state, the pressure to meet the expectations of others and the pressure to develop a potential that you are not ready for, looking for balance to do the right thing without wanting to hurt others, among many many other things, with Roku...God I feel him every time the way he always supports other people, his kindness, the way he guides Aang, also with Iroh, he is a character who left behind a hard life and suffered so much but decided to live in harmony with his heart and heal his past, well thinking better I think he is more like someone to spire for, I am still in the process, but I hope one day to have as much peace with myself as he does.

Do you know this MBTI personality test? I did it out of curiosity to know which characters have the same character as me, to my surprise a lot of my favorite characters in different shows are the same as me, for ATLA I have the same as the concept of air nomads, the avatar state (I have my dubs), The Avatar (as I learned about their different stories, in some way I felt identified with all of them. I couldn't say how true this test is, but at least here I felt identified as well) and the Avatar Roku, it made sense to me, I understand him on every challenge he faced.

I don't remember too much TLoK because I just watched one time, I think I'm going to watch it again these days; I just watch the first episode of the live action and I love it, everything, I'm looking forward to see the next episode (I forgot to pay netflix :'c )

If you were in that universe, would you like to master an element? I definitely do, water or air, maybe air, I really liked the philosophy of life of the air nomads and I would love to be the avatar too.

I'm currently watching anime again, I'm watching some funny romance animes, also there's this manga yaoi that I'm currently reading, I already watched the anime when I was teenager but never read the manga, one day I remember that I really loved the ending song and since then I'm listening everyday, so I wanted to read it too, and... I have too much to say about it, but I'm going to let it to another day.

Have a good weekend (:

Take care of yourself, kiss her and tell her how much you love her, eat well, drink more water, tell your loved ones how much you love them, laughs a lot and enjoy your present.

#letters #The ending of that anime

[agirlunderarock]

12 about atla and 22 about star wars for the choose violence asks? or both for both if you like :D

Thank you so much for the ask! I'm gonna do both for both lol

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Avatar the Last Airbender

I'm nost sure there are any unpopular atla characters? So Avatar the Last Airbender is one of those shows that I really enjoy the show, but I haven't engaged with a whole lot of the fandom to know what all the discorse is outside of Zutara vs. Kataang (I prefer Kataang btw) I think if anything there are characters that don't get talked about a whole lot that I really enjoy, like Tao and his father are an interesting in that like to spin them around on their little blorbo stage while I think about Hakoda and his relationship with his kids. I feel like theres a lot to unpack there in how both families lost their mothers (there are a lot of absent moms in avatar aren't there) and precautions their fathers took in response to that. But now I'm thinking about the absent mothers and thats not what I'm supposed to be talking about-

Star Wars

Reva. Like I LOVE her arc in the Kenobi series. The set up for her story was so clear from the beginning and I love the character foil she sets up for Obi-Wan. Where he lets his grief consume him, to the point he turns away other jedi who need help, she turned to her anger, hunting down jedi in order to get close to Vader before trying to take revenge. By all rights she should be angry and she has every right to be, but she let it consume her and twist her until she became the very monster she wanted revenge on. I am interested to see if she pops up in any other rebellion era star wars stories. I would absolutely love to see her work through the pain of letting go of her anger. I think it would be incredibly interesting to have a very brief story about the Path and helping to hide the force sensisitive children, and having the lead characters be Quinlan Vos, Reva, and Barriss Offee. All three of those characters have had a brush with the dark side or been steeped in it at some point or another, and I think theres room for a powerful story in their recovery, and then facing difficult choices because of the war. Between Reva and Kallus, they are the only two star wars antagonist who have to potential to have true redemption arcs. Kallus has a good one in my opinion, but it could be stronger, and I hope to see Reva again in some future projects so she can have that strong narrative.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Avatar the last airbender

I wouldn't say its ignored, I've definitely seen a few people talk about it, but I do think it gets looked over often, and its that Iroh only has a change of heart about Fire Nation Imperialism AFTER his son dies. I wouldn't say its my favorite part of canon, but I do think its an interesting note by the creators. Its hard to imagine that Iroh whole heartedly bought into Fire Nation Imperialism, but when you think about the letter he rights talking about the siege of Ba Sing Sae its very chilling. Like, no one who doesn't fully believe in the ideals their fighting for, fights the way Iroh did- granted that letter that gives us a hint about whats happening, is being read and Zuko is imagining it, but still. Its a story that I understand why its not explored as part of a kid's show, but I do think it would be interesting to see if Iroh was playing things up for his family back in the Fire Nation, or if there was something more in his relationship with his son that fed into his rejection of Fire Nation Imperialism. Part of me wants to imagine that Iroh took a solo trip around the world to see the connections that his son was seeing and was coming to the conclusion that they were in the wrong, (like Zuko was starting to see in his solo episode) something would have happened that led to his death and thus Iroh abandoning the siege. Somewhere along the way is when he meets the other white lotus members. However, he is a brilliant tactician and I wouldn't doubt he was studying the other benders and their philosophies as a war strategy, much like how we see Sokka do. Don't get me wrong I adore Iroh, he is by far one of my favorite characters, but it is chilling to think about that moment and that letter.

Star Wars

Theres parts of canon that canon ignores lol Unfortunately this is both my favorite and most hated thing. I haven't talked about it on here, nor have I shared any of the drafts regarding my OC interacting with this character despite me thinking about it like every few days. But Satine. Satine was a previous love interest for Obi-Wan during a time when he was questioning his place in the Jedi Order, and we find out all about that in Clone Wars and she's brought up in the books now, and yet the shows, both the Obi-Wan series and the Mandalorian have not brought her up. So she's canon but not canon? which is fucking hilarious to me, but not my favorite thing. I don't like her, but I would have liked her with more development, and thought. I hate her lack of development, when clearly her actions and death have an impact on Mandalorian culture for DECADES. And I hate that most of the time she's talked about by the fandom its in regards to her love story with Obi-Wan. Which I'm gonna be honest isn't a love story. So we're finally getting to my favorite thing, and its that Obi-Wan and Satine's relationship feels so incredibly aroace X nonally allo coded to me. In that every time Satine speaks to Obi-Wan, you can see that she struggles to accept only friendship from him. Theres a whole bit where she stumbles over calling him a friend, and he never struggles with it. She brings up her very romantic feelings for him using a lot of present tense phrases and verbs, when he speaks of it, its very much in the past tense, even when he talks about her to Anakin. It isn't that he doesn't love her, he does in the way someone might still get a little fluttery thinking about the first time they fell in love, but he's very clearly accepted that they have gone on different paths and grown into different people, and his love has grown into that love of a friend. Its not any less, if it was he wouldn't have gone through half the shit he did for her. Then you look at their physical interactions, she goes up and hugs him, touches his face, unprompted, a lot of his initiated contact is with her hands, thats his boundary. And I say all this, not to be like "oh this is the only way to watch it" no, those are just things I noticed because I'm ace and interactions resonated with my own experiences. I think a lot of their romantic relationship is conflated because they're meant to be a foil for Anakin and Padme, but I hate that for them? And I know this asked for my favorite thing, and it is, possibly just because there are so many little details and things that get over looked, and like I have to wonder what was the intention by the writers to portray here in their relationship? To me I see my ace experience and people constantly pushing my boundaries, when I can't give them what they want or expect, and the tragic end to a friendship. Fandom sees a tragic romance, whic again I get and I see it, but its tragic for different reasons.

I guess that last one really was for the violence cause I feel like thats a super divisive thing to say but I don't know If anyone wants to send another or do the questions them self the link is right here.

#ask game #star wars ask #atla ask #like hell am i using the regular star wars tag for this lol #i'm crazy but not that crazy #also i'm so sorry these got so much longer as I went on and that last one was like a big info dump #but thank you for the ask!

[eclairslein]

Why Technoblade is an unreliable narrator

I’ve seen a lot of viewers idolizing c!Technoblade and saying it didn’t make sense that Tommy left him in the end. I watch Technoblade’s streams, but also everyone else’s. I think there’s a lot of overlap in viewers who idolize him and those who don’t have any context other than what comes from his character’s POV. As someone who has watched all POV’s here is why I disagree that “Technoblade has done no wrong” “Techno helps everyone and just gets betrayed” and “Tommy backstabbed Techno!”

I disagree with all of these statements and I don’t think c!Technoblade is a victim despite his personal monologue insinuating that. Let’s start at the beginning.

Technoblade joined to help Wilbur and Tommy with the intention of taking down Shlatt. He preached for anarchy and chaos. Although he was clear about the from the beginning, the people he was allied with didn’t agree with that. Wilbur was driven to that point AFTER Technoblade had already been allied with them. Tommy NEVER wanted to “destroy all government” his goal was always just to take down Shlatt and return to his home. Technoblade ignored the wishes of his only two allies and continued to entertain the idea in his own head of completely destroying L’Manberg. That was never an agreement, he made that decision on his own AGAINST the will of his only friends, Tommy and Wilbur.

Technoblade, on the other hand, was keeping secrets from them. He had withers prepared before they even put Tubbo in charge. Behind all of their backs he conspired with Wilbur and DREAM to destroy L’Manberg just as soon as they’d won it back. That is betrayal. No one betrayed Technoblade because they never promised him anarchy in the first place.

This is where his narration becomes unreliable. In his speech he brings up making all the gear for his new allies and then them betraying him when they used that gear to take back L’Manberg. He called that a betrayal even though it was CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE ( the beginning being when Quackity and the others joined Pogtopia to help Tommy and the intentions being stopping L’Manberg’s destruction by Wilbur and ending Schlatt’s administration ). Technoblade calling this a betrayal is delusional.

The second thing his character is unreliable about is his “retirement.” When Technoblade set withers upon L’Manberg he caused pain and destruction, but also ultimately committed crimes against L’Manberg. He also vowed to them before disappearing into the wilderness that he would continue to destroy the government. When the Butcher Army arrived at his doorstep asking to answer for his crimes he claimed to be in retirement. Fleeing from a crime scene and then not committing crimes for awhile doesn’t excuse you from the original crime. Butcher Army coming for Technoblade was not entirely unreasonable the way c!Technoblade paints it to be. Technoblade was a war criminal and a threat and it made perfect sense for them to pursue him. Putting Phil under house arrest crossed a line, but going after Technoblade was not unreasonable for L’Manberg to do.

As for Technoblade’s relationship with Tommy in particular this is something that c!Technoblade is completely deluded about. Pogtopia days, Tommy did consider Technoblade a friend. The one thing that changed that was when Technoblade worked with Wilbur and Dream to BLOW UP LMANBERG. The ONE THING Tommy fought for, at least at the time. Technoblade dropped Tommy as soon as he realized that working with Wilbur and Dream (behind the backs of Tommy and everyone else) would get him his personal goal of anarchy. He betrayed Tommy first when he made that decision.

When Tommy holed up in Technoblade’s basement, Tommy stayed because Techno told him that he’d help him get the discs back. But Tommy was clear with Techno the whole time that he didn’t want to do anything to hurt Tubbo. Tommy always said no to plans that would hurt Tubbo, Technoblade would brush him off constantly and say things along the lines of “we’ll work out the details later.” Tommy never budged on not wanting to hurt Tubbo, despite Technoblade’s constantly insisting that Tubbo is bad and didn’t care about Tommy.

Technoblade was breeding anger and feelings of betrayal in Tommy in trying to convince him his best friend didn’t care about him, the same thing Dream was doing the weeks before while Tommy was in Logstedshire. Convincing Tommy that he didn’t really belong in L’Manberg was the only way to make him pliable and useful to both Technoblade and Dream. By pushing on Tommy that he should leave his friends (L’Manberg) behind, they were turning him into a bad guy. A person only motivated my personal gain (the discs) and that cares for no one.

After threatening Fundy, Technoblade told Tommy that he finally had respect for him. Finally believing that Tommy didn’t care about his old friends in L’Manberg anymore and was solely motivated by the discs, he revealed his plans to destroy L’Manberg. Tommy never agreed to this and was frankly horrified that what happened between him and Wilbur was happening again. He had no where to go and stayed with Technoblade but expressed clear discomfort in Techno’s plans to destroy L’Manberg.

Now for what Techno calls “Tommy’s final betrayal.” When Tommy stands by Tubbo at the community house and leaves Technoblade. To show why this was completely justified on Tommy’s part I’m going to draw comparisons to one of my favorite works of fiction: Avatar The Last Airbender. At the end of Book 2: Earth Zuko betrays Iroh and returns with Azula to the Fire Nation. Zuko’s time there makes him realize that he cares more about doing the right thing and being the PERSON HE WANTS TO BE than staying with his family and hurting people. Tommy leaves Technoblade for the same reason Zuko leaves Azula. Tommy does not want to be the type of person that would stay with Techno.

Tommy and Tubbo were in a screaming match. After Tommy regurgitated line after line that Dream and Techno had been feeding him. “You left me to die!” and all that jazz about choosing L’Manberg over him. The thing that stopped it was Tommy saying “ Those discs were worth more than you ever were!” Everyone went silent. Tommy stopped everything and realized that he had become a deplorable person and he was saying things he didn’t really mean. Caring more about discs than his friendship w Tubbo was Dreams plan all along and exactly what Technoblade had been feeding him. Tommy dropped everything to stand by Tubbo because he was mature enough to realize that he was the farthest he had ever been from the person the wanted to be, and the closest to being the villains he had been fighting his whole life. Whether it was intentional or not, Technoblade was the person who drove him to become that person. Dream started it, but Technoblade finished the job.

Technoblade felt betrayed, Tommy left him. But it was the only thing Tommy could do and still hold on to the person he wanted to be. Tommy cares about his friends, Tommy has been with L’Manberg since the beginning and has always done what he could to save those he cared about even if it meant personal sacrifice. That’s who Tommy is. The Tommy that Technoblade wanted to be allies with was a person who would help hurt and destroy L’Manberg. Someone who cared more about discs than his lifelong friends. That Tommy never really existed, he was always uncomfortable with Technoblade’s revenge plans. If Technoblade really listened to Tommy, and cared about what he thought, he would know that Tommy could never be the cold heartless person that Technoblade could use to achieve his personal revenge on L’Manberg.

Ultimately, the Tommy that Technoblade needed to help him and/ or stand by and watch him destroy L’Manberg doesn’t exist. It goes against everything that has been established about who Tommy is and what motivates him. To stay true to himself, Tommy could not possible stay with Technoblade and become a stubborn, cold hearted, vengeful person.

That “betrayal” was the most mature decision Tommy has ever made in canon and I WONT STAND BY AND LET YALL SAY IT WAS UNJUSTIFIED JUST BECAUSE IT WASNT WAHT TECHNOBLADE WANTED.

Technoblade is a villain, just because he has a reason for wanting to blow up and destroy everything doesn’t make him a better person for it. He is not moral and never has been. His goal from the beginning has been taking something so many people cared about, L’Manberg, and destroying it because he, personally, is an anarchist. That is an ideology, but it is not the only one. Technoblade wanting to destroy L’Manberg is pushing his values onto others through force and makes him more of a tyrant than every leader of L’Manberg combined. He is flawed just like every other character. The difference that I see is that his character never reflects and admits any wrongdoing on his own part, only blaming others for not agreeing with him and ultimately leaving him.

#dream smp #tommyinnit #Technoblade #dsmp spoilers #dsmp tommy #dsmp #mcyt #techno apologist

[juniperhillpatient]

Winter Solstice: Part 2: Avatar Roku re-watch takeaways :)

This is far & away my favorite of the episodes I've watched so far, & I remember it was around this point in my initial watch with my family over quarantine that I went from "sure, I guess I'll watch this with you guys" to "this show is actually really good & I'm invested." This is where the bigger storyline takes off & Aang is given his mission from Roku & it does not disappoint.

Well - this couldn't possibly go wrong :) The gaang is heading for Fire Nation waters & it's appropriately anxiety-inducing. I like that Aang does attempt to get Sokka & Katara to stay behind just about as much as I love that they don't even consider it, even if they try to talk him out of this plan altogether. If there's one thing that is pretty much a must in "chosen one" type stories, it's the Chosen Saviour character trying to talk their friends out of helping & the friends insisting anyway. It makes everyone more sympathetic & it's just fun.

After a nice little adventure in being likable, Zuko is back on his bullshit. I gave Iroh a lot of shit for confusing & inconsistent motives in the last episode & this is a continued critique I have, but I'll give him this - his one consistent motivator is also his most likable trait: he wants to protect Zuko. Zuko is obviously being a major asshole to Iroh & his crew just pressing forward with a doomed mission & it also goes to show how much he still believes he can be accepted again by his father. Iroh meanwhile gives us some important information: Not only did Ozai banish his own son, but he's also unlikely to be very understanding about his son's valid reasons for re-entering the Fire Nation. Not a terrifying & merciless picture they're painting at all :)

Katara & Sokka's banter continues to be fun, & it's a lot more fun now that they're just annoying each other instead of sexism playing into the mix. I also enjoy Appa & Momo adding some levity. Also - if I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times - Appa is honestly the real hero of the show. Poor guy legit got shot at with fire, was forced to fly faster than usual to get to the Fire Nation in time, AND rescued the gaang from a collapsing temple in the end! Where is Appa's Nobel Peace Prize, just asking?

Shyu also deserves major props. I like how we're gradually learning more & more about the history of the war. The world-building in Avatar is just so consistently well done. And the history never feels like info dumping, because it comes up naturally in the story, like the fire sages having once been loyal to the Avatar but now being forced to work for the Firelord.

I think this is the first time we get to see Sokka's intelligence when it comes to engineering smart non-bending solutions, with his (admittedly failed) plan to get the doors to the secret Avatar room open. Also, Katara is a genius for thinking of the plan to trick the other sages into thinking Aang's already in the room.

And we finally get to meet this guy!

Aang's meeting with Roku did not disappoint. I'm a huge fan of the line "I know you can do it, Aang, because you've done it before." I feel like the first time I watched this episode really helped me understand how this whole "Avatar" thing worked & drilled in the importance of Aang connecting with his destiny & his past selves. Also - Aang now has a mission & the new big goal has been laid out, so that's very exciting. Our boy has to learn all 4 elements by the end of the summer....no pressure :)

Oh, & another thing that was fun about Aang's little Avatar spirit adventure to talk to Roku - we got our first tiny glimpse of Ozai & he's a scary DILF, so that's fun. One thing that I would change about the gaang visiting the Fire Nation & Zuko & Iroh talking about complicated family dynamics, is that I wish there had been a way to sneak in an Azula appearance. No? Maybe? Okay, look, I just wish there was more Azula content & that we'd seen her more earlier on.

Anyway, far & away this was the strongest & most exciting episode thus far in my opinion. For me, this is where things start getting exciting & I'm looking forward to pressing onward in this re-watch :)

#Winter Solstice: Part 2: Avatar Roku #atla re watch #atla #atla book 1 #ids in alt text